Anchor Down
by petitpain
Summary: In the enchanting forest, a lot of events turns upside down the life of the little princess Emma. Now she's almost a grown up, she will have no choice but to jump in an incredible adventure to find herself and pick up the pieces of her fate. To bring peace again, she'll need to cooperate with a the infamous and most feared pirate, Captain Hook. Captain Swan Story


_**Hello everyone, **_

_**Since the end of the season 3 of OUAT, I truly wanted to write about its characters. I had plenty of ideas, but I never really jump in the pool haha, anyway there were many fabulous works on FF to make me stay occupied for a while. But now, here we are with a first chapter.**_

_**I need to precise you that it'll be a Captain Swan's story, one of my favorite couple of the show, but I like to explored other relationships too (not necessary romantic ones as you will see in this very chapter). **_

_**Also I want to warn you, English is not my native language but I want to perfect it so I decide to write this story in English. I hope you'll pardon me for my mistakes (conjugation and syntax generally). For this reason I search a beta , so if you're nice and interested in my story please feel free to MP me !**_

_**To set the mood I propose you this song, not very original because it's from a revisited fairytale, but I really like it : **_

_** watch?v=TZ44x0GnKh4**_

_**So I will let you discover this chapter, see you at the end of the page. Welcome aboard! **_

_**Disclaimer: The original story and the character of OUAT do not belong to me (cruel but not less true).**_

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_Abstract: _

_In the enchanting forest, a lot of events turns upside down the life of the little princess Emma. Now she's almost a grown up, she will have no choice but to jump in an incredible adventure to find herself and pick up the pieces of her fate. To bring peace again, she'll need to cooperate with a the infamous and most feared pirate, Captain Hook ._

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**Anchor down**** : ****Chapter One - Last Hope**

The beautiful woman looked carefully in the mirror, a cruel smirk on her lips. She was dressed with rag and had dust on her face but she still remained graceful. Her maroon eyes , marked with a red gleam in it, reflected wounds and hardships, the lack of trust, the loss of a loved-one and the capacity of loving. She didn't seem to be aware of this and watch her reflect with a certain satisfaction, believing she was the closest of happiness that she had ever been.

Her late servants didn't even recognize her as she walked discreetly in the wide corridors of her castle. She was doing great, her disguise was perfect, even without using a glamorous spell. But she must admit that her previous behavior helped a lot, she had never allowed them to look at her directly, always controlling and intimidating her people with fear and threat. With her delicate but strong hand, she took a bowl of lipstick put on the ebony drawer dresser in the middle of her old room. She colored her lips with the red pigment and smiled proudly, she was ready at last.

Today, she was gonna have her vengeance. On Snow White. On her naive husband and their precious progeny. On every person in the enchanting forest who dared to show them love and respect. She was gonna have her kingdom back and remove the disgusting Charming family out of the picture. In intend to do that, she had made the perfect plan, with the help of her master the Dark One. The perfect curse was on its way. One tiny little ingredient missed, an innocent heart, held firmly in her hand , beating like a humming bird. And then she will crush it, merciless, for the curse to be finally accomplished. Her wish will be fulfilled, her reign restored, and she will watch daily Snow White , clueless, living a life without her family, without her love, without hope. And without magic. But that will be a small price to pay to win over the people who despised and disdained her all her life.

She heard screaming and the panic raising in all west wing in her castle. What a delightful sound. Her army was ready and started the assault. She gave them precise orders and they had to obey without a flinch or that will be the end of their servile and meaningless life. With an intended slowness, she opened her old closet, and find a beautiful red dress which matched her rose like lips. With a snap, she traded her old rag over that stunning dress and her beauty was revealed in a slight red smoke. After arranging her hair , she walked outside the bedroom. Ignoring the brutal fights between the royal army and her black knights in the hallway, she headed coolly to the nursery to achieve her task.

In front of the infant room, laid Snow White, unconscious, with a slight injury over her head. One of a dark minion dragged her brutally out of the evil queen's path. It was kind of disappointing, Regina wished to confront Snow and made her the principal witness of her child's death. She walked through the entrance but before she could order the knight to bring the woman and wake her up, a strange scene occurred before her eyes.

The Prince Charming struggled with fierce opponents, a sword in his right hand and his baby in his left. It was difficult to determine who leaded the fight in such a mess. Charming was kicking dark kights which assault him endlessly, with all his forces he tried to push them back away. He was making his way toward the corner of the room. In that corner was a small wardrobe, opened, a strong blue light escaping from it. This gleam was enchanting, such a soft and appealing color contrasted with the violence around it. Regina was sure of it, that was white magic, created and used to defeat her, to protect the Charming family. A sudden rage invaded her soul and quickly she closed the wardrobe from afar. The blue glow faded and the fight ceased, the dark knights disappearing in smoke. Prince Charming looked up, breathless, squeezing his small child against his torso.

_"__It's over Regina. You won't have what you're looking for._" Shout David , jerking his sword as he turned around to re-open the wardrobe.

Again the Evil Queen was quicker and she managed to remove the console behind her with her magic. So easily.

_"__I think you're right, sheppard . This is over. We can finally stop playing cat and mouse. I win. I will take your baby girl and you'll never ever see your so lovely wife. If you hand me your child now, I may concede you a last goodbye."_

The horrified look on David's face was priceless to her. He eyed the enchanted closet and his wife lifeless on the floor and then the little princess in his arm. His determination wavered. She was crying and did not understand what's going on around her tiny body. He wished she could be safe in a different realm, with no magic to harm her. But eventually she has to come back and save them. How can a little thing like this could ever be a savior. He kissed her lightly on her front to calm her and express all his love for her.

_"__How touching, interrupted Regina with a disgusted look on her face. Will you be so kind to give her to me or do I have to slaughter your throat to get that thing?"_

_"__You shall never have her. I will fight to the end."_

_"__Oh no need! I guess I have no choice. Goodbye, Sheppard"._

She planned a less bloody end for him, so she mimed strangulation and soon David ran out of air. He collapsed on her feet. At least, Snow White's true love was defeated. She practically touched her victory. She took the infant who was still rested protectively in his father's arm. She held it at arm as far as she can from her own body. She has never been a child person, never had to. The girl seemed to have stopped crying but was still weeping. Regina decided to replaced her in her crib in the center of the nursery and take them to her secret volt to cast her evil curse.

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The inside of the volt was softly unlighted with candle sticks, the dark room was cold and a little bit humid. It was the necessary conditions for conservation of many ingredients needed in curses and spells. Regina would've gladly opened widows on the walls but this has to be hidden from sunlight too. No wonder that dark witches or wizards are pale like the undead. In her younger days, while she preferred riding horses rather than learning magic, she had a little tan that looked good on her. Soon Regina will be free of magic and somewhere in the corner of her mind, she wished that she will not miss it.

The crib has been placed by Regina in the center of the room, right above a pentacle chalked on the floor. On the other side, she organized and checked on all the ingredients she will need: a bottle of water from the Lake Nostos, a lock of hair from the Dark One, the heart of her late father Henry in a box, and three drops of a forgetting potion. She handed the evil curse's parchment and take a look at the infant. She whispered:

_"__Soon your heart will be mine, my darling, your innocence will be my victory. Don't worry it will be quick. I bet you really have a soft heart, it'll be crush easily."_ Her voice was low and reassuring to the baby, who didn't understand a word. For a second, Regina was touched by all this ignorance of the cruelty of fate. Sharply, she turned away from the child and continued her preparations.

In order to cast the curse, she needed to put her own heart back in her chest, firstly because it will empowered the curse and secondly because she probably won't survive long heartless in a land without magic. In a drawer, she took a box similar at the one that contain her father's heart. She opened it and suddenly a deep jerky sound wrapped the room in a heavy atmosphere. Her heart in her hands, she watched carefully the dark stain on it. It was even bigger than before, there was practically no red left. Regina wondered if its still can be called a human heart. Anyway she pushed it in her body, winced at the pain and the heaviness that fulfilled her right away. The baby watched her carefully from afar, making random noises either way to express her curiosity or her lack of understanding.

Ignoring the child, Regina put one ingredient on each tip of the pentacle, just the powder of an innocent heart was missing. Satisfied, she bended over the crib and took a good look at the infant.

_"__Now it's time to begin child. It was a pleasure meeting you."_ she said coolly. With one hand, she push aside the sheet that enwrapped the baby, and discovered a piece of white clothe with the letter "E" embroidered in soft blue.

_"__E? What's that?"_ questionned Regina_ "Is that your name?"_ The baby opened her eyes wild and started making sounds. For the first time the evil queen became aware of the little girl. She saw her big blue eyes, three or four blond hairs on her head, her quizzical look and her pink round cheeks.

_" __Elisabeth?"_ No response from the child._ "Elena? Emily? Elalie?"_ Still no answer.

_"__Elfrieda?" …_

_"__Good for you. Listen, it's not that I'm not having fun, child, but I have a curse to cast and a happy ending to take. May I eventually rip your heart out … … … … Emma?_" And then the little girl recognized her name and laugh. Hard.

Somewhat Regina was surprised by the sound. It was both a warm and sad feeling, very unsettling. Suddently, she was very conscious of her own heart, heavy and dark in her chest. And it was entirely Snow White's fault. She had to take responsibility of her wrongdoing.

The hand of Regina went over "E" on Emma's clothes. She felt the little heart beating while the girl fussed below. But she was overwhelmed by her desire of vengeance and payback. She wanted Snow White to suffer, to lose her only family left, her only child. The only soul who will love her forever and despite everything. Like herself, who continue to loved her evil mother, the queen of hearts, despite , well, everything.

And with this curse coming, Snow White will feel the loss, but won't be able to figure it out, to remember the child name, Emma. The heart of the child began to warm her hand. It was ready to be pluck out. She lightly squeezed it, but Emma started crying, sensing that something went wrong in her body.

Then Regina felt it, a strong wave coming from her heart or Emma's, she couldn't tell. She retired her hand from the baby and instinctively held her in her arms, trying to calm down both of them.

_"__Hush hush, I'm sorry I promised you I would be quick. I failed even if I always keep my promises."_ Regina said to Emma, who began to quieten a little.

_"__And I promised your mother, that I will take her happy ending."_ She replaced Emma on the center of her crib.

_"__Take her family away from her." _ She arranged the sheets around the baby.

_"__That I will take her hope."_ She looked at Emma's eyes, bright, innocent, like a blank page, like a new life, like hope.

_"__You are hope, Emma. And I have to steal her hope and find mine."_ Regina stooped over the crib, and a lock of her dark hair swing over Emma who grabbed it softly.

_"__Say Emma would you be my hope?"_ Emma smiled in response and began to chew Regina's hair.

Without knowing, Regina's heart took a very important decision that day which sealed fate of many people. As she sat beside the crib and hold Emma's gaze, she allowed herself to think of better place, a new life with this child, maybe it will be good enough for her. Her hand reached Emma's soft head, and she make a silent promise, that she will never allowed anyone to take her hope away, not this time.

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In the depth of his cell, the Dark One waited merrily the moment when the curse will be cast by his talented and cruel protégé and when he will be reunited with his son, Bae.

_"__I know you, dearie_  
_I walked with you once upon a dream_  
_I know you, dearie_  
_That look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam_  
_And I know its true_  
_That visions are seldom all they seem, hahaha"_

His happy singing provoked a weird echo which fulfilled the dungeon and pissed off the other prisoners in their cell. He couldn't sense Emma anymore and this could only mean two things: Regina killed her to accomplish the curse, or that she safely went through the passage to the land without magic, and Regina had to find another baby to sacrifice. The curse hasn't been cast yet, so he assumed that his plan went very well.

But he didn't contemplate a third option. He was so convinced of the wickedness of his student, he didn't see that she craved for something more than vengeance and power, unlike her mother. But soon he will figure that his plan failed and he will be furious.

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_**Sorry to disappoint you but our dear Captain Hook was not present in this chapter. He will be here soon **__**though**____**(haha), I can't imagine a story of OUAT without him! I need a few chapter (1&2 most likely to provide a framework to my story).But don't worry it is my intend to bring Emma and Killian Jones in a marvelous adventure. **_

_**I've not decide yet of the rating of this story, I set it in "T" for now but it may be rise with the appearance of Hook ^^ and if I am comfortable enough to write about it. **_

_**Please feel free to review and tell me what did you think of this story so far, is this interesting enough? Want do you think of the length of this chapter? Not too boring? Is my poor English is understandable enough? **_

_**Well I wish you a good day, and I will see you pretty soon I hope! **_


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